Without quite knowing the what, how and when, seminary leaders are beginning to talk about a sea change in theological education. Factors contributing to this change afoot have no doubt been the recession and the troubling trends in mainline membership, what churches can afford to spend on their leadership and the corollary flat line in students enrolling in Master of Divinity programs nationwide. However, as non-mainline leaders are quick to point out, church growth trends are not uniformly plummeting. The demand for theological education remains strong; it is the cultural and religious landscape in North America that is changing. And as a microcosm of the diverse world around us, McCormick is changing too.
All of this begs the question: In terms of programmatic offerings, how is McCormick responding to a changing Church and society?
In the fall, McCormick will welcome its first group of students enrolled in two new masters degree programs designed for those who are not necessarily seeking ordination as a minister of Word and Sacrament: the Master of Arts in Urban Ministry (M.A.U.M.) and the Master of Arts in Discipleship Development (M.A.D.D.).
The M.A.D.D. is a two-year course of study designed for the student who is called to nurture and form members of a congregation in practices of Christian discipleship. Degree candidates will learn the practical arts of ministry including teaching, leading worship, hospitality and spiritual formation in the context of biblical, theological, ethical, and historical studies required for reflective ministry.
The M.A.U.M. is a two-year degree offering students a way to focus on the practices, skills, and strategies that are essential to urban ministry.
“Since the 1950s, urban ministry has been a very visible component of our curriculum,” says Dr. Deborah Kapp, Campbell Chair in Urban Ministry at McCormick and lead developer of the degree. “This degree is designed to help students sharpen their capacity for social analysis, ethical reflection, and organizing people to get things done in the city. Graduates will be well-prepared to serve in an urban context, whether in a congregation or a church-related organization.”
ALTERNATIVES TO DEGREES
McCormick is recognizing the need to offer intensive learning opportunities for non-degree seekers whose needs are very specific in scope.
Certificate in Executive Leadership
Dr. Jeff Japinga, Associate Dean for Doctor of Ministry Programs, has led the first Certificate in Executive Leadership Cohort, which is scheduled to complete its work this spring. Cohort II begins in September in Chicago, while Cohort III begins at the Montreat Conference in Montreat, North Carolina, in January of 2011. The most current information can be found by clicking here.
Learning Process and Outcomes
Students in the Certificate in Executive Leadership course of studies will:
– Strengthen their knowledge and sharpen their critical thinking skills through an examination of foundational leadership theory;
– Apply knowledge and evaluate results through collaboration with faculty and peers both in and outside of the classroom;
– Develop “adaptive leadership” skills —the ability to address current pressing issues as well as to meet unknown challenges yet to come — through the application of knowledge and practice in their ministries;
– Acquire insights into who they are, what leaderships skills God has given them, and their roles in relationship to others, through self-assessment and feedback from faculty and peers;
– Learn from between-class assignments rooted in and applicable to each student’s place of leadership;
– Experience ongoing support through interaction with a four-person cohort group;
– Become members of an online community, chatting, emailing, (with a dedicated Web site) to fit their busy schedules;
– Gain opportunities for long-term follow-up and interaction with faculty.
In development: Certificate for the ecologically-minded
Also scheduled to launch this fall is another certificate program designed for clergy, laity, and leaders of non-profits seeking to bring ecological concerns closer to the center of their communities’ identity and mission.
Offered in partnership with Chicago-based Faith in Place, an organization promoting issues of ecology and economy to the forefront of social justice, the certificate will be appropriate for:
– Clergy and religious educators
– People of faith seeking their role in the environmental movement
– Directors of mission, outreach, and creation care
– Environmental ministry leaders
– Lay leaders and others committed to responding faithfully to our ecological context
Upon completion of the course, students will be able to:
– Practice sustained biblical, theological, and ethical reflection on the role of faith communities in our ecological context;
– Present basic scientific knowledge regarding the ecological crisis, and identify reliable sources for current data on the crisis;
– Analyze the challenges of social location (race, class and gender) as they affect both experience of the environmental crisis and patterns of inclusion and participation in the environmental movement;
– Identify, evaluate, and develop a variety of religious practices – from worship to political engagement – that express and shape our vocation as caretakers of creation;
– Explore models of sustainable building and practice that broaden the landscape of sustainability, and provide inspiring examples for congregations;
– Build collegial, collaborative, and mutually supportive relationships to sustain environmental ministry into the future.
Sign up to receive more information about the new certificate and other McCormick Continuing Education opportunities by clicking here.